12 Questions About the History of Space Exploration Answered

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Answered","image":{"url":"https://cdn.britannica.com/14/189414-131-CB669572/Space-Shuttle-Columbia-Launch-Pad-39A-mission-July-1-1997.jpg","@type":"ImageObject"},"author":[],"keywords":"12 Questions About the History of Space Exploration Answered","url":"https://www.britannica.com/list/12-questions-about-the-history-of-space-exploration-answered","description":"This list provides answers to 12 questions about the history of space exploration.","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"} </script> <div class="list-content"> <div class="md-article-container list-container qa-content" data-feature-id="10352"> <div class="feature-container container-lg p-0 pb-40 p-md-20"> <aside class="d-none d-lg-block feature-left-rail p-20 pb-60 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="feature-section"> <div class="label mb-15 font-serif">Discover</div> <div class="mobile-carousel-items"> <ul class="pl-0 lr-image-list font-14 m-0 mb-30 d-flex flex-md-column slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden discover"> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/moon-landing-just-the-facts" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200268-131-A5D7B546/flag-resting-position-mission-Moon-Tranquility-Base-July-20-1969.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="(Buzz Aldrin) stands next to the U.S. flag at Tranquility Base on the Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission, July 20, 1969. 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We humans have been exploring a small portion of the universe beyond Earth for only the past seven decades. What have we accomplished so far? Lots! This list provides a just a few answers, so be sure to learn much more in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/space-exploration" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Britannica’s article about space exploration</a>.<br><em>Earlier versions of these questions and answers first appeared in the second edition of </em>The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) <em>by Gina Misiroglu (2010).</em></p><span class="MOD"></span></div><ul class="list-unstyled md-mendel-list"><li><h2>How does a rocket blast off?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/133928-050-32D04F9F/program-Constellation-test-rocket-Ares-I-X-Launch-Oct-28-2009.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*136375"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/133928-050-32D04F9F/program-Constellation-test-rocket-Ares-I-X-Launch-Oct-28-2009.jpg?w=1000" alt="The Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on October 28, 2009." data-width="1177" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/133928-050-32D04F9F/program-Constellation-test-rocket-Ares-I-X-Launch-Oct-28-2009.jpg" data-href="*136375">Ares I-X test rocket; Constellation program</a><span>The Constellation program's Ares I-X test rocket lifting off from Launch Complex 39-B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla., Oct. 28, 2009.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Explosive chemical reactions are what send spacecraft into space. A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/rocket-jet-propulsion-device-and-vehicle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rocket</a> burns fuel to produce a jet of hot, expanding gas. The specific fuel used varies, but whatever the mixture, it causes the explosive chemical reaction. Because a rocket needs thrust to escape Earth’s gravity, the explosive chemical reaction takes place in a confined chamber and releases gases into a cone-shaped nozzle out the back end of the rocket. The cone shape accelerates the gases, and they blast out of the engine at up to 9,941 miles (15,998 kilometers) per hour.</p><span class="MOD1"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-1"></span></li><li><h2>When did the first spacecraft go into space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/145464-050-D9934CA4/Sputnik-1.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*155664"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/145464-050-D9934CA4/Sputnik-1.jpg?w=1000" alt="The Sputnik 1 spacecraft was the first artificial satellite successfully placed in orbit (1957) around the Earth and was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome at Tyuratam in Kazakhstan, then part of the former Soviet Union." data-width="1094" data-height="896" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/145464-050-D9934CA4/Sputnik-1.jpg" data-href="*155664">Sputnik 1</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NSSDC</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">The Soviet satellite <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Sputnik" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Sputnik 1</em></a>, which was launched into space on October 4, 1957, was the first spacecraft to go into orbit around Earth. It had no crew members or animals aboard, but it instead contained machines that sent information back to Earth via radio. The Soviet Union's launch of <em>Sputnik</em> prompted the United States to get its first satellite, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Explorer-satellites" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Explorer 1</em></a>, into orbit quickly, igniting the so-called space race. This was the two countries rivalry over being the “first” in many areas of space exploration. <em>Explorer 1</em>'s test run in December 1957 burned on the ground, but the satellite was successfully launched into orbit around Earth on January 31, 1958.</p><span class="MOD2"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-2"></span></li><li><h2>What is a space shuttle?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="2"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/70093-050-AA168D21/space-shuttle-orbiter-liquid-propellant-tank-rocket-boosters.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*60377"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/70093-050-AA168D21/space-shuttle-orbiter-liquid-propellant-tank-rocket-boosters.jpg?w=1000" alt="U.S. space shuttle, composed of a winged orbiter, an external liquid-propellant tank, and two solid-fuel rocket boosters." data-width="1187" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/70093-050-AA168D21/space-shuttle-orbiter-liquid-propellant-tank-rocket-boosters.jpg" data-href="*60377">U.S. space shuttle</a><span>U.S. space shuttle, composed of a winged orbiter, an external liquid-propellant tank, and two solid-fuel rocket boosters.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">NASA’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">space shuttles</a> were partially reusable spacecraft that took off from Earth like rockets but landed like aircraft. The space shuttle’s formal name was the Space Transportation System (STS). It was used to orbit Earth, where its crew could do scientific work, place satellites in orbit, and visit space stations. Usually five to seven crew members rode the space shuttles, which were launched from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kennedy-Space-Center" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kennedy Space Center</a> in Florida. Six shuttles were built. The first orbiter, <em>Enterprise</em>, was built in 1974 for testing purposes. Five others went into space: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Columbia-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Columbia</em></a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Challenger-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Challenger</em></a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Discovery-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Discovery</em></a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Atlantis-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Atlantis</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Endeavour-United-States-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Endeavour</em></a>. The space shuttle <em>Challenger</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Challenger-disaster" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">disintegrated</a> 73 seconds after launch in 1986, and <em>Endeavour</em> was built as a replacement. <em>Columbia</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Columbia-disaster" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">broke apart</a> during re-entry in 2003. The first crewed flight of NASA’s space shuttle program occurred in 1981; the program continued until 2011, when the <em>Atlantis</em> carried out its final mission.</p><span class="MOD3"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-3"></span></li><li><h2>What do astronauts wear in space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/136045-050-4EFB6D1B/John-Olivas-American-ammonia-tank-International-Space-Sept-2-2009.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*138924"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/136045-050-4EFB6D1B/John-Olivas-American-ammonia-tank-International-Space-Sept-2-2009.jpg?w=1000" alt="Discovery spacewalker Danny Olivas at work during the STS-128 mission. Olivas and astronaut Nicole Stott, removed an empty ammonia tank from the station's truss and temporarily stowed it on the sit on the station's robotic arm on September 2, 2009." data-width="1600" data-height="1057" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/136045-050-4EFB6D1B/John-Olivas-American-ammonia-tank-International-Space-Sept-2-2009.jpg" data-href="*138924">STS-128</a><span>American astronaut John Olivas removing an empty ammonia tank from the International Space Station during the STS-128 mission, Sept. 2, 2009.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Space suits come in different sizes, and the various body parts, such as the arms and legs, attach together for a customized fit. Traditionally, the inner suit includes a layer of tubing, which is filled with a cool liquid; the outer suit is made of multiple layers of materials such as Dacron, nylon, and aluminum (Mylar). The boots come attached to the legs, and the middle part of the spacesuit, which covers the torso, is made of inflexible fiberglass. In all, the modern space suit is like a modern-day suit of arms, which is put over the head. Built-in backpacks hold life-support systems, cameras, and other items useful for space exploration.</p><span class="MOD4"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-4"></span></li><li><h2>What has the Hubble Space Telescope discovered?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/16/73216-050-C10E383B/Hubble-Space-Telescope-Discovery-space-shuttle.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*82114"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/16/73216-050-C10E383B/Hubble-Space-Telescope-Discovery-space-shuttle.jpg?w=1000" alt="Hubble Space Telescope photograhed by the Space Shuttle Discovery, December 21, 1999." data-width="845" data-height="650" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/16/73216-050-C10E383B/Hubble-Space-Telescope-Discovery-space-shuttle.jpg" data-href="*82114">Hubble Space Telescope</a><span>Hubble Space Telescope, photographed by the space shuttle Discovery.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">According to NASA, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hubble-Space-Telescope" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hubble Space Telescope</a> transmits about 120 gigabytes of science data every week. Among its many discoveries, the HST has revealed the age of the universe to be about 13 to 14 billion years. The telescope also played a key role in the discovery of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/dark-energy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dark energy</a>, a force that causes the expansion of the universe to accelerate. The HST has shown scientists galaxies in “toddler” stages of growth, helping them understand how galaxies form. It found protoplanetary disks, clumps of gas and dust around young stars that likely function as birthing grounds for new planets. It also discovered that gamma-ray bursts—incredibly powerful explosions of energy—occur in far-distant galaxies when massive stars collapse.</p><span class="MOD5"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-5"></span></li><li><h2>What are space probes?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/4957-050-D5B48D7B/spacecraft-depiction-artist-body-Voyager-receivers-dish.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*15100"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/4957-050-D5B48D7B/spacecraft-depiction-artist-body-Voyager-receivers-dish.jpg?w=1000" alt="Voyager spacecraft." data-width="1600" data-height="1280" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/4957-050-D5B48D7B/spacecraft-depiction-artist-body-Voyager-receivers-dish.jpg" data-href="*15100">Voyager</a><span>U.S. Voyager spacecraft, shown in an artist's depiction. The main body of the craft, located behind the large dish antenna used for communication with Earth, houses its navigation system, radio transmitters, and computers. Projecting above the antenna are cameras, spectrometers, and other instruments. The two thin rod antennas feed receivers that monitor planetary radio emissions and plasma-magnetosphere interactions. On the long boom (lower right) are magnetometers for measuring solar and planetary magnetic fields. The spacecraft's power source—three generators that convert the heat from radioactive isotope decay into electricity—occupy the canister between the rod antennas.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA/JPL/Caltech</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/space-probe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">space probe</a> is an uncrewed spacecraft that flies into outer space. It may land on the Moon, planets, or other astronomical bodies, go into orbit around them, or fly past them. Its purpose is to conduct research. It contains cameras and advanced equipment so that it can send pictures back to Earth by radio. The first successful space probe took place in 1959 with the Soviet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Luna-space-probe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Luna 1</em></a>, which passed within 3,725 miles (5,995 kilometers) of the Moon’s surface after 83 hours of flight. It then went into orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars. In 1977 the United States launched <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Voyager-space-probes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Voyager 1</em></a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Voyager-space-probes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Voyager 2</em></a> from rockets. These space probes explored all the giant planets of our outer solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), 48 of their moons, and the unique system of rings and magnetic fields for each of those planets. Since then, numerous countries have sent many probes into the solar system on a variety of different missions.</p><span class="MOD6"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-6"></span></li><li><h2>Who was the first man in space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/115022-050-FA9D6901/Yury-Alekseyevich-Gagarin-1961.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*112294"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/115022-050-FA9D6901/Yury-Alekseyevich-Gagarin-1961.jpg?w=1000" alt="Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin wearing his helmet for the first ever manned flight in space, 1961." data-width="1536" data-height="1387" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/115022-050-FA9D6901/Yury-Alekseyevich-Gagarin-1961.jpg" data-href="*112294">Yuri Gagarin</a><span>Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, 1961.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">The Soviet cosmonaut <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yuri-Gagarin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Yuri Gagarin</a> became the first man in space when he made a full orbit of Earth in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Vostok-Soviet-spacecraft" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Vostok I</em></a> on April 12, 1961. He was in space less than two hours, and he became an international hero. The United States launched the first American into orbit on February 20, 1962: astronaut <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Glenn" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John Glenn</a> completed three orbits of Earth in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Friendship-7" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Friendship 7</em></a>, traveling about 81,000 miles (130,329 kilometers).</p><span class="MOD7"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-7"></span></li><li><h2>Who was the first woman in space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/185243-050-210E89F7/Valentina-Tereshkova.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*219798"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/185243-050-210E89F7/Valentina-Tereshkova.jpg?w=1000" alt="Pilot Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova." data-width="1077" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/43/185243-050-210E89F7/Valentina-Tereshkova.jpg" data-href="*219798">Valentina Tereshkova</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">RIA Novosti/Alamy</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Valentina-Tereshkova" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Valentina Tereshkova</a>, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first woman in space. She spent three days circling Earth, completing 48 orbits aboard <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Vostok-Soviet-spacecraft" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Vostok 6</em></a>, which launched on June 16, 1963. The United States put a woman in space 20 years later, on June 18, 1983, when astronaut <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sally-Ride" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sally Ride</a> flew aboard the space shuttle <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Challenger-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Challenger</em></a> mission STS-7.</p><span class="MOD8"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-8"></span></li><li><h2>Who was the first African American in space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/79827-050-3CAD3EF6/Guion-S-Bluford-Jr-treadmill-orbit-Challenger-1983.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*73435"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/79827-050-3CAD3EF6/Guion-S-Bluford-Jr-treadmill-orbit-Challenger-1983.jpg?w=1000" alt="On Challenger's middick, STS-8 Mission Specialist Guion Bluford, restrained by harness and wearing blood pressure cuff on left arm, exercises on a treadmill; dated September 5, 1983." data-width="1600" data-height="1065" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/27/79827-050-3CAD3EF6/Guion-S-Bluford-Jr-treadmill-orbit-Challenger-1983.jpg" data-href="*73435">Guion Bluford</a><span>Guion Bluford exercising on a treadmill aboard the U.S. space shuttle <em>Challenger</em> in Earth orbit, 1983.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guion-Bluford" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Guion Bluford</a> became the first African American to fly in space during the space shuttle <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Challenger-space-shuttle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Challenger</em></a> mission STS-8, which took place from August 30 to September 5, 1983. He returned to space again in 1985 aboard the <em>Challenger</em>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mae-Jemison" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mae C. Jemison</a> became the first African American woman in space on September 12, 1992, when she flew aboard the space shuttle <em>Endeavour</em>.</p><span class="MOD9"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-9"></span></li><li><h2>How many U.S. astronauts have walked on the Moon?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/71324-050-894661C8/Edwin-Aldrin-Moon-July-20-1969.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*71580"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/71324-050-894661C8/Edwin-Aldrin-Moon-July-20-1969.jpg?w=1000" alt="Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture." data-width="1471" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/71324-050-894661C8/Edwin-Aldrin-Moon-July-20-1969.jpg" data-href="*71580">Buzz Aldrin on the Moon</a><span>U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon, July 20, 1969.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">During nine <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Apollo-space-program" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Apollo</a> missions, 24 astronauts (all Americans) have <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/how-many-people-have-been-to-the-moon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gone to the Moon</a>, and 12 of them walked on it. As part of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artemis-program" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Artemis</a> space program, launched in 2017, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/NASA" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">NASA</a> aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025, with the goal of establishing a sustainable presence there and on other planets. The program also seeks to land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon, and that woman may be <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/7-questions-for-astronaut-jessica-meir" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jessica Meir</a>.</p><span class="MOD10"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Apollo flights landing astronauts on the moon took place between 1969 and 1972, and each had a crew of three. However, since one crew member remained in orbit in the command service module, the other two actually stepped onto the Moon. When <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Neil-Armstrong" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Neil Armstrong</a> became the first astronaut in history to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969, he said, “That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”</p><span class="MOD11"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-10"></span></li><li><h2>When were animals sent up in space?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/104286-050-F7A063C6/Laika-creature-space-Sputnik-2-November-1957.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*107443"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/104286-050-F7A063C6/Laika-creature-space-Sputnik-2-November-1957.jpg?w=1000" alt="Laika or Layka the dog. First living creature sent into space, onboard Soviet spacecraft Sputnik II. Sputnik 2 launched from Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Nov 3, 1957. Laika died hours or four days after launch from stress and overheating." data-width="1600" data-height="1229" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/86/104286-050-F7A063C6/Laika-creature-space-Sputnik-2-November-1957.jpg" data-href="*107443">Laika</a><span>Laika, the dog who became the first living creature sent into space, aboard Sputnik 2, November 1957.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Heritage Images—Hulton Archive/Getty Images</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">In 1957 the first animal, a small female dog named <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Laika" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Laika</a>, was launched aboard the Soviet <em>Sputnik 2</em>. Laika was placed in a pressurized compartment within a capsule that weighed 1,103 pounds (500 kilograms), and she died after a few days in orbit. The United States send a squirrel monkey named Old Reliable into space aboard the December 12, 1958, <em>Jupiter</em> flight, but it drowned during recovery. The next year, on another <em>Jupiter</em> flight, NASA sent two female monkeys into space and both were recovered alive.</p><span class="MOD12"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-11"></span></li><li><h2>What is a space station?</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/58/171658-050-E92A82EB/Dragon-capsule-SpaceX-docking-spacecraft-International-Space-May-25-2012.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*184435"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/58/171658-050-E92A82EB/Dragon-capsule-SpaceX-docking-spacecraft-International-Space-May-25-2012.jpg?w=1000" alt="The Dragon capsule by SpaceX, on May 25, 2012, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station." data-width="1600" data-height="1065" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/58/171658-050-E92A82EB/Dragon-capsule-SpaceX-docking-spacecraft-International-Space-May-25-2012.jpg" data-href="*184435">SpaceX Dragon</a><span>Dragon capsule by SpaceX docking with the International Space Station on May 25, 2012—the first time a commercial spacecraft did so.</span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">SpaceX/NASA</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/space-station" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">space station</a> is an orbiting satellite that allows astronauts to live in space for weeks or months at a time. The first U.S. space station, called <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Skylab" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Skylab</a>, was launched on May 14, 1973. In 1973 and 1974, three more crewed missions followed, during which astronauts observed Earth, solar flares, and the comet Kohoutek. Skylab included a solar observatory, a laboratory for studying the effects of microgravity, and a refrigerator that held prime rib, German potato salad, and ice cream. Skylab orbited Earth 2,476 times during the 171 days and 13 hours of its three crewed missions. Assembly of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Space-Station" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">International Space Station</a> began in 1998, and its first resident crew arrived in 2000.</p><span class="MOD13"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-12"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"List","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":10352,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.131.7"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/dist/list-page.js?v=3.131.7' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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12 Questions About the History of Space Exploration Answered | Britannica